When No One's Watching
by Silent Scribe
Summary: Rin, Jaken, and Kohaku can do plenty whether or not Sesshomaru's watching. Question is, what does he do when they aren't? Little warm Christmas short.


_Author's Note: Originally I was going to have a fanfic based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but although certain demons (Sesshomaru) would have fit the main character's description, it became too cumbersome to work with the rest of the cast. Besides, the western holiday was a bit awkward in a feudal Japanese setting. However, I think the universal theme of tenderness isn't. I'll try and post more like this short fic before the holiday...Merry Christmas!_

_--_

**When No One's Watching**

"D-do you think he'll notice?" Kohaku's teeth chattered in his head, but that was caused by more than the freezing temperature.

"Well," Rin smiled, rolling up another large mound of snow, "what Master Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru don't know can't hurt them. And you're not going to say anything, right Ah-Un?"

Twin-heads bobbed.

"See?"

The young demon-slayer wasn't too assured, but this wasn't something he got to do everyday either. He heaved a second snow block on the first.

"We're going to need some branches and stones."

"What about the armor?"

"Or fur."

"What are you children up to?"

Rin jumped a little. "Oh! Uh, Master Jaken! H-how nice of you to – "

"Is that a frosty caricature of Lord Sesshomaru?!" The imp stamped his foot for the virtual indignation of his absent liege. "He lets you brats sit out here to catch your death in the cold and you repay him by –"

_PWAP!!_

Kohaku rolled another snowball while Jaken spewed out slush. "Insolent snot! Wait 'til Lord Sesshomaru finds - "

"Wait, Master Jaken." Rin tugged on his sleeve as he whirled around. "Do you want to join? If you help us, we promise not to let Lord Sesshomaru know." She threw in a sugar sweet smile.

"Pah, why would I do that? Aid you in your asinine pranks." Jaken sat in the slush for a full minute, contemplating about heading back inside. Lord Sesshomaru would be in the next room over, wanting nothing to do with his devoted vassal, and he, Jaken, would just sit bored in his own tiny quarters until it got dark and…

"That head could use more snow. He always did have an over inflated ego."

Rin's grin returned and Kohaku clapped Jaken on the back.

_What does it matter?_ Jaken tried reasoning with himself. _Lord Sesshomaru isn't watching. _

They got to work.

--

The sun had lowered its head hours ago when Sesshomaru stood up from his scrolls and stretched.

For once, his irritating little companions had managed to stay out of his mane for a full day. He vaguely remembered droning a "Where were you?" when they came in again, but the only response was, "Just having fun."

Sesshomaru snuffed the candle and let his own night vision take hold as he strode with confident familiarity to the children's rooms. Neither Kohaku nor Jaken were in their quarters; he slid back the screen to Rin's. The taijiya slumped against the wall with Rin curled at his side. Not too far away, Jaken cradled his staff and snored deeply.

Reaching into the crook of his arm, Sesshomaru pulled the first of three blankets he carried over with him. When each was secure where he saw fit, the dog-demon proceeded with the rest of his work. With quick talons, he loosened the boy's topknot and massaged the strained scalp. Rin sighed gently as a gentle kiss graced her cheek. Finally, where so many swift strikes had landed, a little yokai got a reassuring pat on the head.

_What does it matter? No one is watching._

Like the snow outside, Sesshomaru noiselessly drifted from the room. But there was one more matter that concerned him this evening, what had they been doing outside earlier? Insatiable curiosity gnawing away, he tugged on his boots and strolled outdoors…

Admittedly, Sesshomaru's pricked ears twitched as he examined the grotesque features of the…snowdemon? Indeed there were the trademark double yokai stripes on what he assumed was the head. Two large, solidified chunks of amber tree sap served as eyes and the outstretched tree branches _did_ hark to clawed hands; but what on earth was that excessive quantity of snow over the right shoulder supposed to signify?

Sesshomaru's own claws absent-mindedly trailed over his mokomoko.

And the ridiculously enormous head – who had done that?

Sesshomaru spied two-toed foot marks on the snowdemon's shoulders – Jaken. Then again, there were tiny handprints where the downward facing twig eyebrows had been placed.

"Bunch of brats." Sesshomaru didn't restrain the growing smirk since still no one was watching even as he turned in for the deep winter's night.


End file.
